Keynotes Many people and businesses take out insurance policies to protect against risks such as fire, accident and theft. Policyholders pay a yearly premium to the insurance company which then provides cover against financial loss. If something unexpected happens, the policyholder can make a claim and * receive compensation for the loss or damage. Paa What insurance do you or your family have? What insurance do you~ have to have by law? Read the extract from a US insurance company’s website. Match the headings with paragraphs 1-4 Auto “Home : Commercial ~~ Life (iSO) Ue Lae TEES erence z my Divert Quer Sannin Oona Oo Oma Omani Seen Dae Pool insurancé cifers a wide range of surance products and cove for yout auto, ham, business and if neds ; Insurance protects business onners from certain losses, y incluing inured workers and comage to equipment and baling | insurance provides rotation i the event ofa death j {Pavel made othe nearest relative or cter named benatony Glossary i 22 insurance protects aginst franca loses if you hove = accident. Coverindudes medica eupenser, Your car sus beneficiary the person who | 2 rote against fre one ck receives the payment i 4 insurance can cover fie, weather-related destruction i «and other losses: The policy covers the cost of Inbar, materials and | auto insurance (American English) car / motor insurance (British English) ‘services necessary to repiace or repair buling domeges Some people want to insure unusual things. Singers may insure their Voice; dancers their legs. What other examples of unusual insurance cover have you heard about? Problems” Complete the insurance claims below with the following words. injured damaged, . “destroyed lost.” stolen = ~ “There was an accident in the factory and two people were ! We would like ta tlaim for their medical expenses.’ “There was a bad storm last night and our roof was *__. We want to claim the cost of repairing it! ‘I'd like to claim for the theft of my car. It was” home during the night! __ ‘When I was on holiday last week, 1 ¢ my wallet. on the beach. "looked everywhere but couldn't find it. It had €1,000 inside? We've had a fire in the computer room. All the equipment is completely ‘ » We need to replace it as soon as possible’ from outside my 94 @ Unit 11“<3 Irene Foster, an- underwriter at the insurance company, Green Shield, explains how an insurance company is structured. Listen to part one and match the job activities a-f with the people who perform them 1-3. manager Take care of general administration clerical staff Handle online and telephone applications and claims. underwriters > Agree to accept a risk or not, ef Manage staff. 2 Deal with the majority of applications and claims. Take decisions on special cases. =) Listen to part two and answer the questions. What example does Irene give of a ‘high risk’ case? Complete the sentence: When someone has made —____ claims or more in What example does Irene give of a case where the company may ‘review the situation’? What special terms does the company sometimes offer in cases of high risk Complete the sentence: We may quote a _____ premium or offer only limited Insurance. Match the words 1-6 with the meanings a-f. administration © a request to your insurance company to pay for damage or loss 2 department >the amount you pay for insurance during a oe = particular period claim + the conditions of an agreement or contract {premium 4 tell a customer how much something will cost S quote = managing or organising the work of a company terms £ a part, or section, of a company where people do a particular kind of work. Insurance fraud Many people make fraudulent claims on their insurance. Which of the following actions can be described as fraud? Being honest about the value of your financial losses. Making a dishonest claim for an injury you don’t have. - Lying about how much cash was in the wallet you lost. Telling the truth about the cost of a car that was stolen. Claiming that the repair cost was more expensive than it really was. Making a legitimate claim for items destroyed by fire. a Unie ne} Reading 2 3 Read the article and answer the questions. How much does insurance fraud cost in the US? ~ 2 What two kinds of technology can be used to identify fraud? ~ How much has Highway Insurance saved as a result of using this - technology? Complete the text with the following sentences. A. The tremors can indicate that they are not telling he truth. INSURANCE FRAUD costs Americans $80 billion a year ~ $950 per family. This is ‘not just because of large-scale fraud — everytlay consumers also contribute to the loss by making dishonest claims. __A new lie detector telephone technology may change that. The Layered Voice Analyzer (LVA) measures micro tremors in the voice ta determine the emotional state of speakers, AGimilar system, the Voice Risk Analyzer (VRA). is aleeady in use in the UK and has helped UK companies to make savings. Highway Ingurance is a UK-based auto underwriter that uses the 96 @ Unit 1 claim just goes away,’ says Lawrence. auto theft claims are fraudulent. ‘Ifa fraudulent policyholder decides to Opt out, we are happy that their ‘Now we are able to pass these savings along to our genuine customers! > With VRA, the company is now able to identify that nearly one in five But most often, no one’s going to find out if an average consumer stretches the truth a bit. ‘VRA in their fraud detection programs. Michael Lawrence, marketing and special projects manager with the ‘company. reports that only 5 per cent of claims for auto theft were thought to be fraudulent before using the system, “The analysis takes place in our first stage of screcning,’ says Lawrence. The provess begins when a policyholder reports a claim to the company’s automated telephone system. The system informs policyholders that their calls may be monitored for fraud-prevention “and detection purposes. If the voice analysis readings show a claim to be suspicious, the policyholder i informed that further investigation is quired. A live telephone interview i then arranged. VRA readings show that 38 percent of claims celating to theft are high isk, and 18 per cent ae eventually found tobe fraudulent. If policyholders withdraw their claim during the investigation process, the cofmpany will ake no action +E Asa result of fewer claims and more eccurate identification of fraud. Highway Insurance has saved more than £3 milion. ‘Before we started using this technology, we dida't know how much fraudulent claims cost us, because we didn't know which claims were fraudulent, explains Lawrence. Glossary stretch the truth make something seem more important or bigger than it really is tremors shaking voice that you can't control emotional state the way someone feals (e.g. worried, afraid, confident) suspicious possibly dishonest or fraudulent iChoose the best word a-c to complete the sentences. all claims to see which ones could be using the Voice Risk Analyzer. f any calls are suspicious, the company The VRA system helps to fraudulent claims when they hear that the company will investigate them. Identifying fraudulent claims has helped the company to Which of these dishonest actions is most serious? Put from the most to the least serious. them in order Your neighbour ordered some pizza but it is delivered-to your address by mistake. You eat the pizza and say nothing to your neighbour. You spend €15 on some shopping for a friend You tell your friend that A shop assistant gives you change for 50 when you only gave a #20 note, You say nothing, You find a €100 note in the changing room at the swimming pool. You You order 12 botties of wine from an online distributor. The company sends you 24 bottles by mistake. You don’t tell them about the mistake. You claim €750 on your insurance policy for personal things stolen from your apartment. The real value was only €200.Passives Look at the examples of active and passive sentences. Choose the best alternatives in italics in the rules below. Active: The policyholder reports a claim. Passive: ~ Aclaim is reported by the policyholder. ~ Ifthe claim is suspicious, the policyholder is informed and a live telephone interview is arranged. = Eighteen per cent of claims are found to be fraudulent. ~ » Your claim is being considered and a decision will be taken shortly. ‘My car has been’stolen! ‘Three houses were destroyed by the storm. ‘The.passive is formed by using the correct tense of the verb to be / to have with the past participle of the verb (eg. found, stolen), We inore commonly use the active / passive form of the verb when it is ._ important to say who performed the action, or what was responsible for the event. 5 The active / passive form of the verb is usually used when we don’t know who or what was responsible. & . When passive sentences inclide information about the agent (who or what was responsible for the action), we use by / for with the agent. For more information, EE Rewrite the sentences below using the correct form of the passive. Omit the agent if it isn’t important. “i, Howard Baines set up the company in 1978, ‘To begin with, Baines and his directors divided the company into three departments. Since then, they have restructured the company into five departments. Atmanager heads each department. ‘The company now employs 4,000 people. &>,Thef are building a new head office for 2,000 staff. = ‘The¥ will complete the new building next month. Complete the article with the appropriate passive form of the verbs in brackets. Insurance companies see manual workers as high risk Low paid manual workers (‘charge) with the same car and address gave his ('see) —__ as 101020 percent more for job as f their motor insurance than high-earning professional people. according to data So whatare the bestand worst jobs for scale, the lowest premiums (pay? ‘Association. Oné car insurers? The highest rates ‘attact) by accountants. Ti E713 for car "by _high-earning (believe) _______t0 be careful from the Automobil man C quote) igh risk becau ry worker, he (offer) they park their cars in areas of hi cover for a cost of £793. crime at night. At the other end of insurance when he gave his job as IT sportsmen, Because they often drive fast, people who take few risks when deiving consultant. But when thessamie person, expensive cars. Nightclub staff 98. Unit 11In business, as in other areas of life, we often have to make difficult decisions. The best way to decide is to look at all the arguments for and | against and to see which is the strongest argument. The following phrases are | Useful for putting forward arguments and responding, The fact is... , $0 0: Ves, but . ao | My view is... , becouse... LJ.» . runderstand your point, but... L] | Surely the main point is... L]- On the other hand .. | You have to consider... °L]"~ that's right ey | Don't you think... ? oO | Irene, Jane and Mike are three underwriters at Green Shield Insurance Company. They are arguing about a special case: 2 man who has a criminal conviction for theft has applied for insurance cover for his house. Should the company offer him insurance? Listen to the discussion. How many people are for offering the man insurance? listen again. Tick the phrases you hear in the list above. Speaing Discuss the questions in pairs. Practice putting arguments for and against the idea. What do you think of the case in Listening 2? Should the company insure the man’s house? Should insurance companies cover the medical expenses of people who smoke a lot or drink a lot? os To interrupt or not? What are meetings like in your country? Does everyone try to speak at the same time? Or are there a lot of silences? In some cultures, people think it is a sign of respect to take time before responding to what others say. In other cultures, people are uncomfortable about silence. They normally respond immediately, or even interrupt another speaker to give their own idea. t Unit 108 99,Dilemma: A fair decision? Decision: | Brief You are members of the Financial Ombudsman Service - an | ©) Now listen to Carl Herring, independent organisation that helps to settle disagreements between | member of the Financial companies and their ctistomers. Yati have been asked to look at the Guibiidentan Service’ following dispute between'a cer owner and an insurance company laining the decision of following the theft ofa car. - See eae ease the Ombudsman. Jane Buxton was ata restaurant in the city centre when her handbag was stolen. Inside the-bag were her house keys, car keys, wallet and driving * zm * licence with het home address amit. She reported the theft to the police Useful phrases... : and to her insurance company. The police advised her to change the aac ane | The fact is ..., $0.4. = Jocks on her house. But ten days later, her éar was stolen from outside : her house. She made a claim on her motor insurance policy, but the Surely the main point fs . They told her she was at fault My views ..., because ».. | On the other hand ... company refused to settle the cla | because she didn’t change the locks on her car after her handbag was | | stolen. Jane thinks this-is unfair and the company should settle her { claim. Beng oe 5 } i | Task1 = _ Work in two groups. Group A, read the arguments for the insurance company’s decision. Group B, read Jane Buxton’s poitit of view. Group A | turn to page 199, Group B turn to page 143. i Task 2 Should the company settle the claim? Meet with two students from the other group and put forward the different argumertts Tor and again Discuss the ~ arguments from an objective point of view and try to find a satisfactory solution. °? write it up Saiee As the ombudsman, write a letter t0 the insurance company. Tell them either that you support their decision not to settle the claim, or that you think it was an unfair decision and they should settle. Explain your arguments. (Gee Style guide, pag fe 10) 7 oY ; 100 @ Unit 1.Honesty isthe best Insurance | potiey Language: Passives Career skills: Expressing arguments Writing: » Completing a form 7 = | 7 ee SEE HM How many natural and man-made insurance risks can you th 8F in five fninutes? Use a dictionary to help you | Reading Natural: flood, Man-made industrial accident, Eh Read the article and-compiete it with words'from the box. telecommunications inant disasters rich investors owner workplaces “insurance information stockmarket Ed Are these statements true or false? 1 Globalisation has made people feel less worried about danger. False 2 Fear of risk is always rational, 3. .Over the last 100 years, life expectancy has increased by ov + Experts want to learn ftom looking at past risks. 3 Epidemiologists predict storms and earthquakes. Insurance spreads the cost of paying for problems from an individual to a group. 5%, 44m Unit uSurvey: Risk Living dangerously For businesses, governments and citizens, misjudiging risks can be costly Tits orld is-a risky place, especially for these Concetned With business’ and. '_finasice Globalisation has increased the.sense of peril Natural ‘and! man-made 2. _, including forest fires, earthquakes, big industrial accidents and various trarispoft disasters, have added to the feel- ing of danger. Part of this fear is irrational. The world is not necessarily more dangerous. After all, earthquakes ‘are -not. affected. by a rise in free trade. What bas” GHanged- is that > and: media coverage naw'mean that, such disasters are reported from even the-most distant places. , For most-people in 4 ‘countries, life fas become much safer in a nuniber of important ways. Over the past century their life expectancy has risen by around two-thirds. 5 , the wider environment and many diseases have become less hazardous. So it is. not strictly true to say that life has become nore. risky; instead, some risks have become_smalley.and_some.riéw” ones. have_arrived. sman-made crises such -as 8. It is now easier for people to study and learn from: past srisks by. using technology. For-example, life-insurance: companies have looked back at records of births and. deaths. to estima lifespans, and set 7 premiums. Thanks computer, models, there is a berter* chance ot predicting a storm or earthquake, epidemiologists are more successful at tracking diseases, and even crashes can be catalogued and studied to produce better forecasts.. This technology is ‘also providing better information on the costs of the problems when they do occur. Insurance works by shifting risks from a party that does not want to deal with them to one that does. For example, the cost of a house burning down can be moved from a home % to the insurance company and its shareholders. A stockmarket listing can shift business risks from a single family to thousands of 10 worldwide Vocabulary IB Put these stages of the insurance process in the correct order. Pay premiums Settle a claim Make a claim mae pees Geta quote Find-an-insurance company. 1 Sign an insurance policy ‘Check terms and conditions Unit 1Insurance clai Name of policy holder Policy number Item(s) to be replaced Value when purchased |, Cause of damage Date of damage stening@T14 Listen to Dave, Susan and Maria ‘? Could you complete this form and send it fo the insurance company please? My laptop hasn't worked since I dropped it yesterday: The insurance policy number is GH76 FO90S. The policy is in my name and the laptop cast €1900. I m 1 Martha Jenkins 2 3 a 5 6 cover tc choose for employees. Answer the questions. 1 Who thinks that cost is the most important thing? Dav “2 Who thinks that medical cover is the most important? 3 Who wants to compromise? 4 What do they decide to do in the end? iscuss which medical insurance Unit 11.8 47Language check 46 m Unit 0 op wy Hi Underline the noun that is not usually used with each verb. 1 destroy a ahouse b acupofcofee © a document 2 lose a money b keys © a storeroom 3 damage a apiece of paper b an antique © acomputer 4° steal a acar b a factory c awallet 5 injure a achair b aperson © anarm Complete the sentences with verbs from exercise 2 in the correct Two people were —infured”_ when the machine fell. nd ‘The window in our office hasbeen badly "by the storm, she “__- her briefcase, but she found it again. The warehouse was totally.___ by fire. Somebody broke into my car;but nothing was TE correct the mistakes in these sentences. ‘The police gre informéd about the theft last night. ‘The goods will being replaced by the insurance company next week How many insurance quotes is processed each month? ‘Our car was damage in the accident. ‘ Sorry for the delay, your insurance claim will are dealt with as soon as possible. ‘The premiums on my insurance policy.have go up. ‘Three people were injure in the accident. 8 The terms of insurance policies have be changed by some insurance companies. whan en ae EA Pat these sentences into the passive form. Omit the agent if it isn't important. 1 Acar injured Mr Lewis. Mr Lewis __was inured byacar 2. The storm has damaged our house. ‘OuF house a ™ 3. The other broker quoted us a better price. We 5 4 Has the insurance company contacted you yet? Have 5 Hurricanes destroy over 300 homes each year. Each year 6 We are processing your insurance claim at the moment. YourKeynotes Customer satisfaction is.an important part of a company's sales stratedy, so-companies try to provide good customer service. That means offering hi ity products and-services, answering quaries, making it éasy for customers to order and pay for goods, and delivering on time. Companigs-also need to. have a system for handling complaints, so that if they:make a mistake. of offer poor service, they can:deal with the problem Most companies train their, customerew Complaining In which of these situations should the customer complain? If not, ‘why now 1 The food in a restaurant is overcooked. You don’t like the music in a café. You wait ten minutes to be served in a shop. : There is cigarette ash on the floor } i of an expensive hotel room. | & 5 Your train is five minutes late. £ ¢ After ordering a book online, the wrong book is sent. You send it back but after three weeks, the right book still hasn't arrived. Acar hice firm didn’t provide maps of the local-roads. Feedback on service ‘Complete the comments to a holiday travel company with the following words. apology” dissatisfidd" friendly’ pleased wrong _ excellent useful ‘mistake. dit. rude. . “poor i We had service from first enquiries -on the telephone to arrival at the resort. Staff very. and efficient. We were very ‘—_____ with the service at the hotel-Our room was *__ and the hotel receptionist was very to receive the receipt and confirmation the day afier booking. \ When I booked my holiday, \. B- your representative quoted The service ( me the’ price. Sea in the hotel tateronae representative had goo local knowledge and gave ® Sears #] Read the article on the opposite page and choose the sentence, a or b, that best describes the main point. +” Companies that receive no complaints offer the best service. Its good for companies to receive complaints. , but she made eee was vy) Eat 102 8 Unit 12©! Read the article again. Are the statements true or false? Australians are correct when they say that the British complain too much. ‘The British aren’t very direct when they make complaints. Americans only complain when there is a big problem. British companies don't spend much on service. The Marriott Hotel Group trains its staff to follow a fixed routine when handling complaints. Complaining about bad service in Britain doesn’t bring any results Customer service Getting better service ‘The failure to complain is everywhere * ustralians call the British “whingeing Poms" because they complain so much. Bat a new study suggests that Brits should whinge more, snot less: team led by Chris Voss of the 7 London Business «School found that service quality in Britain is. ypically ‘worse than in America. One reason, the research suggests, is that British customers complain less about bad service than harcite-please Americans do. The failire to complain is everywhere in Britain. Hunter Hansen, an American who runs the Marriott Hotel ia London's Grosvenor. Square, notes that a British guest would make a fuss only about a signfieant problem— and even then, would do so in a roundabout way. Americans are critical of even small mistakes «The result, Me Voss finds, is tha Brits Suffer. But s0 do companies in Britain's Service indusieies: they donot receive much feedback, and so lose a chance to improve service quality. Indeed, they may spend more than’ they need on Servicequality improvements, because they do not get ditect help from customers. “Management gueus know more about how companies respond. 10 complaints than about why the British are phlegmatie. In Amenca, wellzun ee Glossary whinge complain (informal) pom (Aus) a person from Britain (informal) make a fuss become angry about something ina roundabout way not in a direct way phlegmatic always calm, not getting angry or excited companies have “service recovery" strategies. Staff atthe Marriott Group ‘are trained in the LEARN routine— Listen, Empathise, Apologise, React, Notify. The final step ensures that there is a record of each complaint. The Ritz Carlton, hotel chain, another with 3 good “reputation for handling complaints. from customers, trains its sta not just to say “sorry” but “please accept my apology" and gives them a budget to reimburse angry guess When Brits finally complain, they get what they want, Mr Voss told his doctor that he would like to have the result of tests more quickly. “The next time, | gor them sooner,” he says, in surprise. * Do people in your country cémplain a lot? What about? \ How would you describe the quality of service in your country? Unie LDealing with complaints : Match the steps 1-5 from the LEARN routine with the explanations 5 ae. LISTEN Show that you understand how the customer is feeling, 1 a 2. EMPATHISE bell management about the problem 3 APOLOGISE ~ €. Don't interrupt when the customer explains the problem. 4 REACT 4 Promise to do something 5 NOTIFY Say Sorry’ i ‘ocabulary 3. Synonyms Choose the word or phrase that has a similar meaning to the ones in italics. a lesa significime problem and a lot of people are complaining about it & minor ...2 7 5 typical © important 2 Our business is:siefering as a result of poor service. doing badly* recovering © failing If the service is poor, the company will reimburse you. 3 ask you'for money recover the money ¢ refund your money 4° The hotel has a good reputation. 2 has hada god report b isknown tobe —¢_is very expensive ‘ very good Collocations 24 Cross out the noun in each group which does not go with the Sah Ei. 1 make ‘a complaint / a customer / an apology deal with a service / a customer / a problem : i handle a query /a need / a complaint offer a refund an apology / a complaint satisfy, a need / a customer / a complaint Choose the correct verbs in italics to complete the text. Ifa company doesn't ‘satisfy / offer a customer's needs and he or she "makes /.offers a complaint, the company should respond immediately and > deal -with / satisfy the customer's problem. Businesses that don’t try to ‘satisfy / handle their customers usually receive more complaints. ifthe company ' offers / deals with a refund, the complaining customer will often come back. But if the company fails to even ‘make / handle an apology, the customer will not only change to another company, but may also tell ot people about their bad experience. - 104 @ Unit 12 —Listening 1. 31) What do you think customer service staff should do in the following situations? Match the situations 1-5 with the actions a-e. 1 Acustomer is angry about a mistake. a Suggest a solution. 2 An angry customer describes 4 Say what you can do. the problem. 3 Acustomer complains but doesn't ©. Stay calm, demand any action. + Acustomer demands action but the 1 Accept that you probably company can't do what the customer won't find a solution, wants, . 5. The customer is a very difficult pérson. 2. Listen carefully and repeat to check ©] Now listen to an extract from a training seminar for customer service staff and check your answers to exercise 1. # Listen to the trainer again and answer the questions. i What do employees often think when a customer shouts at them? What do you think it means ‘to solve the problem professionally? Which word makes the customer feel confident that the employee is going to do something? Which words should the staff not use? Conditional 4 Study the following examples. Complete the rules below with present or future. ~ If the customer doesn’t demand action, you'll have to suggest a solution, “Ifit’s a difficult person; you probably won't find a solution. ~ IF we make’a mistake, welll correct it =" Ifwe ask the customers for feedback, we ean find out what they want. ~ Most people will be satisfied if you apologise. - Ifyou can’t replace the product, will you give me a refund? 1 In the first conditional, the verb following ifs in the tense. 2 The verb in the other half of the sentence refers to the and is generally formed with will. 3 We use the first conditional to talk about the ____ result of a possible action or event. Note: ifthe result is not certain, we use can or could instead of will, meaning ‘It’s possible’ Unit 12 1051 Look at the payment terms below. Write sentences linking the possible actions and events with the future results. Use conditional 1. Possible action or event > Future result aa You pay within 10 days > you receive a discount you pay within 10 days, you will eceive a discount. Possible action or event > Future result : You pay by credit\card > we add a charge of 2 per cent to 5. your bill 2 We don't receive payment > we charge interest at 25 per cent a by the due date month Yoh request delivery within 3> there is an additional charge of €20 28hours 4 You decide not to keep the > we refund your money in full product “: Complete the extracts from company brochures with the presen simple or future form of the verbs in brackets, : {Customer service guarantee Lowest prices guaranteed! 7 » ee cerwice at If you (‘find) ‘the same product at a lower price in another store, we (refund) ‘ the difference If you (be) 1 dissatisfied in any way with the quality of our service, we (send) you a €15 voucher. Cancellation charges {Special offer! We (‘deduct)__ 10 per cenit from the price if you order) before October 31st - 4 weeks before the date of departure, the total } Ifyou (cancel) less than four f. 4” cost of travel (‘be) payable, Product information Ifyou (require) further information about any of thie products featured in.this brochure, please.call (040 800 900 and'our sales staff ("be) pleased t6 help you. q Work in pairs. Look at the alternatives below. Describe the result of tdking each action. IF stay at home, [ll save money. Go out with friends this evening or stay at home and study? Buy a new mobile phone / coat / bag or keep the one I've got? Buy a book online or in a bookshop? Look for a job abroad or work in my own country? “2 Think of some real situations where you have to decide between two or more possible actions. Talk about them with your partner using If... Ml... * 106 8 Unit 12When you have a problem, you have to look at all the possible options aid | find the best solution. The following phrases are useful for discussing | Problems. Match the five steps in problem-solving with the phrases ee Step 1: Explain the problem @ Ifyou (do), it will meon 3 | Step 3: Consider the resultof Its better/ best if (do ¥) { each option {, Step 4: Choose the best solution d- T've gota problem | Step 5: Promise action. € There are two possibilities: you could | | Step 2: Psst te opine 8 Henan i wide anc ge | Magda Zawadski phones Shane, the customer service rep of a UK supplier, about a problem with the delivery of some machine components. Listen and answer the questions. What is Magda’s problem? What two options does Shane present? Which option does Magda choose and why? What does Shane promise to do? “ Work in pairs. Role-play the phone call between Magda and Shane. 2) Role-play two situations involving a shop manager and a supplier. Student A give Student B this information. Situation 1: Shop manager Your shop sells fruit and vegetables. You received some tomatoes this ‘morning but they are damaged and you can’t sell them, Phone the supplier. Explain the problem, listen to the options and choose the best solution. Situation 2: Supplier’ - Your company supplies bread to stores. You receive a phone call from a shop manager. Listen to the customer and offer two possible options: 1 - offer to collect all the extra rolls. 2 tell the shop to sell what they can. Refund the cost of any rolls that they don't sell. Listen to the shop manager's decision and promise action. Student B tum to page 146. Showing emotion If you feel angry about poor service or bad mistakes at work, do you show your anger? Or do you try to stay calm? When you complain, is it better to show how you feel, or to present the facts in a quiet, neutral way? In some cultures, people accept strong emotions as normal; in other cultures, people think it is not appropriate to show emotions in business situations. Which culture do you belong to? 3 Unit 129107Dilemma: Service not included Decision: Brief You are the senior managers at House & Home,a chain of warehouse- | @) Now listen to Mandy style stores selling furniture and fittings for the home. The company is Dunwoody, the Human suffering. Competition fron other similar stores is strong and sales ace falling, You think that the maisf reason for the loss of sales is poor customer service. To find out mipre about the problem, you asked your customers for feedback. The follwing complamts were the most common: : © Staff gave wrong informatiog. } * Staff didn’t know anything about the products. + Staff were not interested in fhy query. © Staff were rude. + { Resources Director at House i & Home, explaining how 3 | the company solved the | problem of poor customer | service. Useful phrases. | The problem is | We could either ... or... i | Tfwe (doX), we will /won't... | | I think the best solution is to..." * Sales staff ivere busy talking to each other, * It was difficult to find help évén. when the store wasn't busy. You believe that if you tan offer better service than your competitors, the customers will return. The question is: how can you improve service? There are thiree possible options: Recruit more staff for each’store. 2 Improve staff training. >. Offer higher pay to sales staff Task 1 . Work in three groups. Find oult.more about one of the options and the possible results of choosing this option. Group A turn to page 139, Group B turn to page M44..+ = Group C turn to page 46. St aa : Paee Task 2 Form new groups including mémbers of A, B ae i Bg and C. Share the information you have and OI discuss the three possible options. Choose the. << ATT P best solution and present your choice to the other groups. : we Write it up Write a short report for the Directors of House & Home. Use the following headings: Brief summary of the problem Possibie options (bullet points) Best solution (See Style guide, page 18) i : 168 & Unit 12Complete the text with the present perfect form of the following verbs (positive or negative). be decide fall introduce rise see stay The Channel Tunnel is an impressive example of modern technology, but it'____so successful as a financial venture. Shareholders are unhappy about the latest reports, which show that the number of cars using the tunnel *___ by 8 per cent in the last twelve months. The number of trucks and commercial vehicles? at the same level, but the company * an increase in its market share. Airline traffic between London and Paris ‘__ because of low cost airfares. Eurotunnel’s directors * not to review their pricing strategy. Instead, they a programme of cost-cutting in the hope of saving the company. Rewrite the sentences in the passive. 1 We describe the results of this survey in our latest report. The results. They call the new model the ‘Robornat’ The new model . 2 They are building a new office block in the city centre. Anew office ‘They will complete the building next year. ‘The building The company has developed a new drink. '§ new drink Ye company raised salaries by 4 per cent last yeas Salaries The company offered a job to only one person. Only one person ‘The company manufactures the T408 in Germany. The T4908... Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. Ifyou have an accident, the insurance company (pay) the costs. Ifyou (not have) insurance, you will have to pay for the damage yourself You could miss your plane if you (not hurry) You (not lose) in a strong company. 5 There will be an extra charge if the customer (not pay) on time. The company (need) to recruit more staff if they set up the new office. 7 Our staff (learn) todo better job if we give them training. 3 Ifthe quality (be) customers will complain. money if you invest Poor, our Consolidatiaz Choose the correct form of the word or phrase in italics. Everyone thinks British food is the worst in the world, But it'improved / has improved a lot in recent years. Britons *found / have found a new interest in food. If you *read /will read British newspapers, you will see recipes and restaurant reviews. New restaurants ‘is / are being advertised everywhere. Cooking programmes ‘schedule / are scheduled on TV every night and kitchens *hecame / have become bigger and better. ‘The biggest change that can ’see / be seen is in the quality of produce in shops. Twenty years ago, there ‘was / has been only one kind of tomato in supermarkets. Now, if you "visit / will visit a British supermarket, you can find 15 types of tomato. A similar change *has took / has taken place in other rich countries. And in developing countries, it “has reported / has been reported that there is a lot more food available to the poor. But the wrong kind of food was / is being consumed too, In some counties, more than half the population is overweight. Doctors warn that if people "won't / don't eat better, there “are / will be more deaths from overeating than from smoking. 109. alVocabulary check 1 Choose the best option a-c to complete the text. John went skiing last winter. He had an ‘and fell 20 metres down the mountain. He wasn’t * » but his camera was? The cost of repairs was €200. He tried to on his travel insurance, but the insurance company said that his ‘ didn’t cover dangerous sports. accident b incident © injury 2a damaged —b unhealthy injured 2 injured damaged. © destroyed complain © cover ¢ claim 5 8 protection — policy © claim <=] Choose the best option a-c to complete the text. 2 Online shopping has increased dramatically in recent years as more and more people use the internet to! travel tickets and buy goods. However, there can be problems when buying online. Some retailers have found it difficult to guarantee * times: goods may arrive late or not at all. Some customers become frustrated when they are unable to cancel, an order or get a? for goods they don’t ‘want. Companies that try to spending on customer service may find it difficult to” all the complaints from ‘ customers. ook » require © command 2 a delivery distribution ¢ service 3a payback return refund reduce ib putdown — fall 3 a apologise > deal © handle © satisfied 5 dissatisfied «_ unsatisfied Career Unemployment rate 1998-2005 softtalwantece ioe am aoa 00k —~a00ntoos Gas a0 ‘Choose the correct phrase! td complete each sentence describing the graph. droppad from 6% to 4.5%. fell to~ fluctuated remained steady reached a peak 1 From 1998 to 2000, the unemployment rate between 4.0 and 43 per cent. In 2009, the rate 2 per cent. The level of unemployment during the next two years. In 2004, unemployment of 60 per cent. In the second half of 2004, the rate pressing avg Aand B discuss whether to hire a big room or a smaller room for a party for customers. They don't know how many people will attend. Match the phrases with the arguments a-e. My view is that we should hire the big room, On the other hand, Tunderstand your point, Surely the main point A. That's right. obra > If the room is too small, our customers will leave - and that could cost us a lot! but ifa lot of people come, we will need the space © is to save costs where we can. because it’s better to have too much space than not enough. © we might have to pay a lot of money for space we don't need. An office worker (A) phones a technician (B). Put the dialogue in the correct order. 5 OK, but if we send someone to you, you may have to wait tll this afternoon. Fine. Then I'l arrange for someone to come to you. sve got a problem with my laptop ~ it isn't working. That's OK, [ can wait Right. Well there are two possibilities: we could send someone to you to look at it, or you could Bring it to us. A. Lcan’t bring it to you very easily - it’s connected to other equipment at my desk.Vocabulary: | & complaint 1s Service Conditional 1 Career skills: Dealing with problems Writing: Language: Letter responding to a.complaint handle, wraining customer offer deal with _~> bile ee pain loyalty 7B ae See ee ea refund some advice look for nd ES x ¢ demand’~ staff ney company —__ ae customer-service a good, aad —__ an excellent———— a ee ils Listening@©115__ Listen to an interview with Mr V Mahesh, of the University of Buckingham, about the university's post-graduate course in Service Management. Complete the notes. Post-graduate course iw : yf Service Manageme! 1 Course started january — 1904 ‘ 2. Service sector Accounts for over — of new ze employment inthe UK. dndcother countries. E 3 Most management schools focus on consuuncer anc. dusts = and marreting al product 4, For a. modern career, you need education iw how to 3 design, niarieet anc superior service 5 the progrannine helps students Leann how to service organisations 2 & Traditional custemer service training foouses ow skills | such as __" manners a F Wher people travel abroad, they get exposed to other e countries and 2 tf companies fail to provide good service, customers will goto _— service providers. Reading. Choose the best option (a-c) to complete each of these sentences. oe sh 5 1 The writer thinks that American companies. . feces a are good at dealing with complaints. b are bad at dealing with complaints. ¢ don't get complaints. 2 The worst area for customer satisfaction was the . a. service industry. b manufacturing industry. © computer industry. 3. The American Consumer Satisfaction Index can he} a: how much money companies will make. b how much training corporate America need ¢ future profits for markets for goods and se aw #34 Training in retailing can be ineffective because companies don't want to invest in it staff change jobs quickly. © itis too expensive, 5 Anew study suggests that # customer complaints aren't important. ', customers are satisfied with the level of service. © itis a good idea to encourage customers to complain, & In the experiment atthe gym, tial customersavho were invited to complain were _ Fore likely o join up for membership. ; bess likely to join up for membership. more dikely.to be offered membership. The Economist =" Uae e : Business Moaning for America Provides a measure of how well markets for goods and services are working, and is a signal to investors about future profits, To gain more points, he Suggests extra investment in training. However, the tightness of America’s labour market has made training in areas such as retailing and call centres ineffective — staff turnover is just t00 high Companies need not despair, though. & new study by Prashanth Nyer, of Chapman University in seabed Gtr Wied geting an“ University of Michigan Business Gallifornia, "shows that merely apology from an airline for-a School, show that satisfaction in encouraging customers to complain delayed flight, or persuading a. almost Every area of business has helps to increase their satisfaction, phone company that they have fallen since the index was started even if the complaint never gets overcharged you? If you try. it in in 1994 Most of the worst offenders resolved. In an experiment, America, youll find that most are in Services, including published in the Journal of firms are bad at dealing with broadcasters, airlines and life Consumer Marketing, a group of SapPlaints if indeed they deal insurers; but manufactures cach concn, was given a free trial at with them at all, computer makers do little better. 2 gym. Those who were encouraged he latest figures fiom the There may be a serio feeon complain on joining were 59% rngerican Consumer Satisfaction here for corporate America. Clon tore likely to sign up for regular Index (ACSI, a nationwide Fornell, the Professor behind the membership than those who were indicator developed by the ACSI, claims "thar tie tna ime B Unit 12 oyore ‘a Language check [J Choose the correct verbs in italics to complete the sentences. 1 tf that customer has / will have i problem with his next purchase, \ somegne has / will have to visit him 2 ‘There is / will be trouble if we don’t / wan tive our customers better service. 3 We give / will give you a refund, if you refem / will retum the product inthe original bow 4 tf we don't / won’ improve our aftersales service, our reputation suffers / will suffer. 5 _Ifany more customers make will make complaints do /will you deal 2 .with them, please? i | 6° He handles / will haniile the problem better if you give / will give him oh. all the information this afternoon, : EF Use if or will to complete thie advice about handling customer ; complaints: Riese Haridling customer complaints j Hsten: '__if __ you listen to your customers, they fer a solution: *_____you are not able to deat | 2 be less negative. Even )_____' the with the problem yourself, put the customer in contact 1 problem cannot be completely solved, the customer with the correct person, 9 you cannot solve ‘feel more positive about your company. the problem, offer an alternative such as a refund, a * replacement ora credit note. «Be polite: The problerf’$__ be much easier to K deal with 6 you remainicalm andl polite: °+Apdlogise: Your customers ©. appreciate it 7____ the customer gets angry showy that you Mx you simply say sorry. It shows that you understand why they are upset. ‘cafe about their problem and want to help them solve it Writing You work in customer services for an electronics company. Read this extract from é. Jetter of complaint from Mrs Marks and write a reply (60-80! words) ~ Apologise for the ptoblem : ws ea . . = Offer evo possible solutions: os : . @ Arrange a tefund (money will take two weeks to go into her account) Y b Send a replacement (will be with her in three working days) >" AskMrs Marks to let you know which option she prefers Y ~ She can'contaet you if she need$ any further help . ‘Then compare your-answer with the suggested answer on page 95. T bought a DVD player from your company and it is not worki When 1 telephoned customer services they said that they would send a replacement but it never arrived, pe Unit 2851 TZ